IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,589,503
Granted Patent B2
US 11,589,503 · App. 17/067,009 · Granted Feb 28, 2023

Robotic mowing of separated lawn areas

Inventors: Paul C. Balutis (Shrewsbury, MA); Andrew Beaulieu (Somerville, MA); Brian Yamauchi (Cambridge, MA)
Assignee: iRobot Corporation
A01D34/008B25J5/007B25J9/0081B25J9/1674G05D1/0219G05D1/0221G05D1/0234A01D2101/00G05D1/0265G05D2201/0208Y10S901/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,589,503
App. No.
17/067,009
Granted
Feb 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of mowing multiple areas includes training a robotic mower to mow at least two areas separated by a space, including moving the robotic mower about the areas while storing data indicative of location of boundaries of each area relative to boundary markers, training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas, and initiating a mowing operation. Training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas includes moving the robotic mower to a traversal launch point of a first of the areas and moving the robotic mower to a traversal landing point of a second of the areas. The mowing operation causes the robotic mower to move to the traversal launch point, move from the traversal launch point across the space to the traversal landing point, and then mow the second of the areas.

Claims (66)

1. A method comprising:

presenting, on a user interface of a user computing device in communication with an autonomous lawnmower robot configured to operate in an environment including two or more mowable areas, a map of the environment;

receiving, by the user computing device, a user input indicative of at least a portion of a boundary of a first mowable area of the two or more mowable areas;

presenting, on the user interface of the user computing device, a representation of the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area;

receiving, by the user computing device, a user input indicative of at least a portion of a boundary of a second mowable area of the two or more mowable areas, wherein the second mowable area is discontiguous with the first mowable area; and

simultaneously presenting, on the user interface of the user computing device, a representation of the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area and the second mowable area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area comprises receiving a user input to modify an automatically-selected boundary of the first mowable area.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, from the user computing device to the autonomous lawnmower robot, data indicative of the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to navigate about the first mowable area based on the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area comprises:

receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area to define the first mowable area.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising transmitting, from the user computing device to the autonomous lawnmower robot, scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at a user-selected time.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the second mowable area comprises:

receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the second mowable area to define the second mowable area.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the user-selected time comprises:

transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined second mowable area at the user-selected time.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the user-selected time is a first user-selected time, and transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the first user-selected time comprises:

transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the first user-selected time and to mow the defined second mowable area at a second user-selected time.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the first user-selected time and to mow the defined second mowable area at a second user-selected time comprises:

transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the first user-selected time without mowing the defined second mowable area and to mow the defined second mowable area at the second user-selected time.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the first user-selected time without mowing the second mowable area and to mow the defined second mowable area at the second user-selected time comprises:

transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the first user-selected time without mowing the second mowable area and to mow the defined second mowable area at the second user- selected time without mowing the first mowable area.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the representation of the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area comprises:

presenting, on the map of the environment, the representation of the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area is indicative of an entirety of the boundary of the first mowable area.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user computing device is a smartphone.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the user computing device, mapping data collected by the autonomous lawnmower robot,

wherein presenting the map of the environment comprises:

presenting the map of the environment based on the mapping data collected by the autonomous lawnmower robot.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the user computing device, satellite-based mapping data,

wherein presenting the map of the environment comprises:

presenting the map of the environment based on the satellite-based mapping data.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the user computing device, a user input indicative of a location of a docking station for the autonomous lawnmower robot; and

presenting, on the user interface of the user computing device, an indicator of the location of the docking station on the map of the environment.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting, on the map of the environment, indicators of locations of a plurality of beacons detectable by the autonomous lawnmower robot.

18. A mobile computing device comprising:

a user interface;

a communication system configured to wirelessly communicate with an autonomous lawnmower robot configured to operate in an environment including two or more mowable areas;

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

presenting, on the user interface, a map of the environment;

receiving, by the user computing device, a user input indicative of at least a portion of a boundary of a first mowable area of the two or more mowable areas;

presenting, on the user interface of the user computing device, a representation of the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area;

receiving, by the user computing device, a user input indicative of at least a portion of a boundary of a second mowable area of the two or more mowable areas, wherein the second mowable area is discontiguous with the first mowable area; and

simultaneously presenting, on the user interface of the user computing device, a representation of the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area and the second mowable area.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 18 , wherein receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area comprises:

receiving a user input to modify an automatically-selected boundary of the first mowable area.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 18 , further comprising transmitting, from the user computing device to the autonomous lawnmower robot, data indicative of the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to navigate about the first mowable area based on the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 18 , wherein receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area comprises:

receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the first mowable area to define the first mowable area.

22. The mobile computing device of claim 18 , further comprising transmitting, from the user computing device to the autonomous lawnmower robot, scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at a user-selected time.

23. The mobile computing device of claim 22 , wherein receiving the user input indicative of at least the portion of the boundary of the second mowable area comprises:

receiving the user input of at least the portion of the boundary of the second mowable area to define the second mowable area.

24. The mobile computing device of claim 23 , wherein the user-selected time is a first user-selected time, and transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the first user-selected time comprises:

transmitting the scheduling data to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to mow the defined first mowable area at the first user-selected time and to mow the defined second mowable area at a second user-selected time.

25. A method comprising:

presenting, on a user interface of a user computing device in communication with an autonomous lawnmower robot configured to operate in an environment including two or more mowable areas, a map of the environment;

receiving, by the user computing device, a user input indicative of a user-selected region in the environment and a user-selected behavior of the autonomous lawnmower robot associated with the user-selected region;

presenting, on the user interface of the user computing device, a representation of the user-selected region; and

simultaneously presenting, on the user interface of the user computing device, a representation of at least a portion of a first mowable area of the two or more mowable areas and a representation of at least a portion of a second mowable area of the two or more mowable areas, wherein the second mowable area is discontiguous with the first mowable area.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising transmitting, by the user computing device to the autonomous lawnmower robot, data indicative of the user input to cause the autonomous lawnmower robot to perform the user-selected behavior in the user-selected region during a mowing operation.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the user-selected behavior is a behavior to move from a first mowable area of the two or more mowable areas to a second mowable area of the two or more mowable areas.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the user-selected region at least partially covers a space in the environment between the first mowable area and the second mowable area.

29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the user-selected region corresponds to an obstacle in the environment.

30. The method of claim 25 , wherein presenting the representation of the user-selected region comprises:

presenting, on the map of the environment, the representation of the user-selected region.

Assignments (5)
NOTICE OF ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Nov 25, 2025
From: TCG SENIOR FUNDING L.L.C., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SANTRUM HONG KONG CO., LIMITED, AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073707/0516 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2023
From: IROBOT CORPORATION
To: TCG SENIOR FUNDING L.L.C., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064532/0856 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2023
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: IROBOT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064430/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: IROBOT CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061878/0097 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: BALUTIS, PAUL C.; BEAULIEU, ANDREW; YAMAUCHI, BRIAN
To: IROBOT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059226/0894 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16185422 · Nov 9, 2018
Continuation 15794603 · Oct 26, 2017
Continuation 15367047 · Dec 1, 2016
Continuation 14579080 · Dec 22, 2014
Related Publication 20210100161A1 · Apr 8, 2021
Cited By (2)
US 12,232,441 US 12,691,778